1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two-way valve having a first port and a second port for introducing and discharging pressurized fluid in two directions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, two-way valves have been used in fluid pressure circuits or the like. The two-way valve has a first port and a second port for introducing and discharging pressurized fluid, and a fluid passage for communication between the first port and the second port through a valve plug which is operated under a pilot pressure supplied by a pilot port.
Typically, the two-way valve is equipped with detection means such as a sensor in the valve body near the valve plug for detecting displacement of the valve plug. The detection means supplies detection signals with a controller, and the controller confirms the displacement of the valve plug based on the detection signals.
However, according to the conventional two-way valve, in order for an operator to confirm whether the two-way valve is in the ON state where the two-way valve is open or the two-way valve is in the OFF state where the two-way valve is closed, the detection means such as the sensor for detecting the position of the valve plug is essentially provided inside the valve body. If the detection means fails to operate properly, all the components including the detection means of the two-way valve need to be replaced. Therefore, the repair cost tends to be rather high.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a two-way valve having a detection section which is detachably attached to a valve body. According to the present invention, since the detection section is accessible from the outside of the valve body, the detection section can be replaced easily with a new one. Therefore, it is not necessary to replace all the components of the two-way valve.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a two-way valve having a flow amount adjusting mechanism for limiting the displacement of a valve plug so that the amount of the fluid flowing through a fluid passage in the two-way valve can be adjusted.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.